1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for permanently setting pre-formed creases in a pair of pants. In particular, the present invention relates to an apparatus for applying a flowable, curable setting material to the inside surface of the pants along the four creases simultaneously, without having to turn the pant legs inside out.
2. Description of the Related Art
Although permanently creased pants made of polyester and other synthetic fibers are well known in the art, no cost-efficient method of applying a permanent crease to pants made of natural fibers and other non-permanent press materials has been demonstrated.
One method that has met with limited commercial success provides a permanent crease to a pant leg by turning a pair of pants inside-out after they have been pressed by conventional means and applying a flowable, curable setting material such as silicone rubber to the inside surface of the pant legs along the creases one crease at a time. The setting material is permitted to cure and maintains the shape of the creases after washing or drycleaning. An apparatus for imparting a crease in accordance with the above-described method is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,182,264, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference to the extent necessary to achieve a thorough understanding of the background of the invention.
Such an apparatus and method are very time-consuming and labor-intensive. They require turning the pants inside out, carefully aligning each inside-out crease with a V- or channel-shaped trough, manually applying the setting material to each inside out crease with an application tool, and turning the pants right side out after application of the setting material.
The present invention is intended to provide an apparatus for permanently setting the creases of a pair of pants without requiring the pants to be turned inside out.
The present invention also is intended to provide an apparatus for permanently setting the creases of a pair of pants in a time-efficient manner that will minimize the manufacturing costs of achieving permanent creases.
In addition, the present invention is intended to provide an apparatus for permanently setting all four creases of a pair of pants simultaneously without requiring the pants to be turned inside out.
Additional advantages of the present invention will be set forth in part in the description that follows and in part will be obvious from that description or can be learned from practice of the invention. The advantages of the invention can be realized and obtained by the apparatus particularly pointed out in the appended claims.